Those Who Make Legends
by Kementari
Summary: This will soon turn into fantasy; a legend is started by the 5 pilots being transported into a world of magic and danger. (Yeah, bad summary there...)
1. Those Who Make Legends

**Untitled Prologue**   
******************************************************   
by: Me

  


The girl ran farther and farther down the hall, her footsteps making only the slightest noise as they hit against the stone floor. She felt the coldness spreading around her, and realized that it wasn't going to be long before she'd face the same fate as the others.   
She gasped and stepped back as she saw ther dark shape in front of her.   
_Where are they?_ the shadow echoed in her head.   
"You won't find them.." she replied with slight horror as the thing drew closer to her face.   
_Really.._ She felt a dark force constricting her throat. _Tell me. Now._   
She stared, unable to say a word. There was a weakened, choking sound as her eyes rolled towards the back of her head. The girl was dropped unceremoniously against the ground as the figure growled.   
"Well?" another female voice said, watching from the corner.   
_She said nothing.._   
"I didn't believe she would.." the woman snorted. "These people aren't smart enough to save their own necks.."   
_If the legends are true.._   
"The legends won't help us.." she picked up a small darkened gem which hung from her neck and stared at it. "We'll just have to find them ourselves.."   
The image began to shimmer uneasily, and the room filled with dark black light.   
  


Quatre struggled helplessly in his sleep, whimpering and gripping at the pillow as if it was the only thing he recognized. He shivered and tossed back against the blankets, mumbling incoherently.   
He felt someone touch his shoulder and he instantly opened his eyes.   
Trowa was holding a rolled up newspaper and a cup of tea, the steam still rolling off the side. Quatre blinked and rubbed his eyes as he took the cup from Trowa's hand.   
"Thank you.."   
There was a moment of silence as Quatre drank some of the tea, allowing himself to come to full consciousness.   
"You were having another nightmare.." Trowa finally said.   
Quatre said nothing but bowed his head. "Too much work I guess.."   
Lately Quatre had been having trouble sleeping, as well as the strange behavior which sometimes took over. All in all, it was definite that something was troubling him.   
Unfortunately not even Trowa had figured out what.   
He came out of his reverie and saw Quatre staring at him, looking just slightly nervous. He checked the clock and realised that the blonde was waiting for him to exit the room so he could begin getting ready for the morning.   
Setting the paper down on the side of the bed, Trowa exited quietly.   
Quatre watched him leave then fell back against his pillow. It was cold, and it didn't help that every time he closed his eyes he felt like he was being watched..   
Picking up the paper, he focused completely on the headlines and walked towards his bathroom.

Duo Maxwell was impatient. Not just anxious, impatient. Heero, Wu Fei, and Trowa had all left to do various chores but he was stuck at home to do nothing.   
And Quatre wasn't even up yet to talk to.   
Reaching for the phone, he considered making a few prank calls, but before he had dialed a single number he saw the blonde coming into the kitchen.   
"Morning Sleeping Beauty!" he announced cheerfully, knowing well that Quatre knew how to make a suitable breakfast.   
"Morning," Quatre replied, setting the paper back down against the table.   
"Hey Qu.." Duo stopped as he heard the sudden shattering of china.   
Quatre's cup of tea was in a thousand pieces against the floor, the remains of the warm liquid running towards the chair leg. Quatre's eyes were staring vacantly towards the wall, and his body began to tremble.   
"Quatre? Hey, you still there?" Duo asked nervously.   
"Duo.. get out of here.."   
"Wha? Quatre, what's wrong?"   
A cold wind ran through the room. Just then a bright yellowish circle engrossed the white wall. Duo watched paralyzed as the circle began to crackle with energy and a black figure walked out of it.   
It was like nothing Duo had ever seen before; the thing, as it was, was no more than a shadow.. yet it's eyes were dark red. It walked on all fours, but it seemed to float as well..   
Duo growled and pulled out a small pistol, only to watch the shots go straight through the oncoming enemy. It just snarled and came towards him.   
"I SAID RUN!!" Quatre yelled in his commanding tone, instantly running into the shadow-monster.   
Without question, Duo ran towards the door. Of course he wanted to help the blonde, but when Quatre gave an order, you just listened..   
A shadowy hand shot out and grabbed Quatre by the neck. He struggled to breathe and tried to turn away from the dark red eyes.   
_What's the matter boy? Afraid of me?_   
Quatre watched as Duo ducked behind a chair. He grimaced painfully and stared at the dark thing.   
"What do you want here?"   
A wispy smile appeared on its face. _You.. of course._   
Quatre cried out in pain as he was forcefully dragged towards the circle.   
The blonde was swallowed up by the circle, and it crackled and died.

"Quatre?! Quatre?! Aw man the guys are going to kill me.." Duo ran his hand through his brown hair..   
"So it begins.." an almost chuckling voice said.   
Before Duo could inquire as to where the voice came from, a white light enveloped him...

***********************************************************************

Yeah, I know, it's not much, and confusing.. but it makes more sense as it goes on. I've been wanting to do a fantasy project for a while and this is the short start of it. Hopefully I'll be able to blend in a little bit of Tolkien and Everworld and various other fantasie. Who knows, maybe even some Zelda will be incorporated if I'm careful.. mainly all I ask is that you review so I don't feel like this is a waste of time. In fact, maybe someone can help me title this so it doesn't remain nameless..

Oh yeah, I just want to make one little comment.. and this is COMPLETELY my opinion, but lately I've been noticing a lot of stories on here becoming more and more cliche.. Quatre death fics especially. Although I have nothing against these stories (on the contrary, some are written incredibly well) it would be great to see some new ideas popping up.. I _know_ we have a lot of talented authors here and some incredible works could start up..


	2. Default Chapter Title

**Untitled Chapter II**   
**************************************************   
by me

****

  


All Duo saw was a strange, glowing nothingness around him.   
"Welcome Shinigami," the chuckling voice mused.   
"Hey... who exactly are you supposed to be?"   
"You'll find out soon enough.. Your friend was taken by something, yes?"   
"That's right.." Duo said with the slightest hint of suspicion.   
"Then I suggest you go find him.."   
And then the light around him turned into complete blackness.   
Duo woke up in a soft, comfortable bed..   
"GOOD MORNING!!" an all-too cheerful voice boomed.   
The voice became silent and suddenly very nervous. "You're not.. the princess!!"   


For hours all he'd known was the bone-chilling cold which could perhaps be attributed to the movement through that dark blackness. Even now as he sat on the rock, all he could do was manage to keep his teeth from chattering.   
The shadow-monster watched him with mild interest as it paced back and forth.   
_It would help if you lit a fire.._   
"An..nd how.. exactly am I ss..supposed to do that?" Quatre managed to say as he shivered.   
The thing almost allowed a wispy smile to cross its face. _You really don't know do you.._   
Quatre didn't answer but stared silently at the ground, clutching tigher around his body to try to keep some warmth in him. At the moment, he wanted more to collect his thoughts.   
"It's ss-starting then, isn'--t it?" he finally asked.   
The shadow raised an eyebrow.   
"That's why you brought me here, and the others will appear as well.."   
_I'm surprised.. but yes. This seems to be the case._   
Quatre nodded and closed his eyes. His body relaxed and he fell into an uneasy state of half-asleep and half-awake.   
The shadow watched, making sure the captive was still alive then relaxed itself. There was something very interesting about this boy, and it intended to figure out what before he had to be taken to its commander.   


Heero Yuy grunted in annoyance. First, his favorite pair of spandex shorts had ripped in the most unfortunate place, and secondly when he'd gone out to repair them everyone just laughed at him.   
But being taken by some weird light and then deposited in the middle of a large forest was even worse.   
Especially since his gun had disappeared during the fall.   
But Heero could deal with that..   
The fact that he was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by strange looking men was normal as well.   
However, the fact that they were dressed in clothes which he'd only seen in history books and wielding very dangerous looking swords was just slightly abnormal.   
"Eh, what we got here captain?" a tall, not-too-bright person asked.   
"Seems like a little boy.." a short bearded man grinned. "Shall we ask him where he comes from?"   
"Yes.. let's."   
The five rushed at him, yelling and swinging their swords threateningly. Heero jumped up as two of the foolish men slid right into each other. Another met with the back of Heero's shoe, and the fourth was punched hard in the stomach.   
The last enemy standing stared at him in horror. Heero drew closer, grinning evilly for effect.   
Instead of running away, he simply gawked. "You.. you.."   
"Yeah." Heero replied.   
And then the man collapsed to the ground bowing. "Oh leader!! Master!! Great one!!"   


The bright sunlight streamed in through the trees and the slight wind made the shadows dance on the thick grass. Somewhere, there was the slightest sound of birds chirping.   
Trowa sat on the branch of a tree, watching the scene. A short boy was being chased by what seemed to be very angry women in shimmering, leaflike clothing. The boy yelled out several long chains of injustices and dishonors, but to no avail. It was oddly humorous, considering the situation.   
Sighing, Trowa jumped down to help out the crazed Chinese. He walked towards the two girls, very calmly grabbed Wu Fei and pulled him back towards the forest. The girls watched, satisfied that they'd taken their revenge.   
"Gah.. foolish women.." Wu Fei began to mutter to himself as Trowa released him. "Won't even give you directions.."   
"You demanded it.." Trowa replied calmly.   
"Hmph." Wu Fei kept grumbling. "So, where exactly are we?"   
"Somewhere." Trowa answered.   
"That's informative."   
Trowa kept walking. "We have to find the others.."   
Wu Fei followed, glad that at least he hadn't been stuck with Duo.   


For the most part, the cold had gone. Quatre walked lazily along the path, almost forgetting he'd been taken captive. He stared at his guard calmly, in the bright light it looked more like a giant wolf mixed with a person than anything else.   
_You don't seem that afraid anymore.._   
"There's nothing to be afraid of right now." Quatre replied softly, staring up at the slightly cloudy blue sky.   
The shadow snorted. _There is _always_ something to be afraid of._   
"Perhaps..." Quatre blinked. "You know, you never told me what your name was.."   
_Names are nothing important._   
"Then I'll have to give you one.." Quatre thought momentarily. "Will Dark do?"   
_ If you must.._   
"And you can call me Quatre."   
_Humans.._ The shadow stopped short.   
"What is it?"   
_Goblins.. _ Dark seemed to growl in Quatre's mind.   
Goblins.. but they were only fantasy.. weren't they? Quatre saw the dark shapes in the distance. They came closer, wicked smiles on their faces. They were greenish brown, tall and mainly lanky, although a few seemed slightly chubby or muscular. Long, yellow teeth inched down against their bottom lips making them look more sinister. In one clawed hand was an axe, dry blood caked on it.   
_What do you want?_ the shadow asked, guarding his captive threateningly.   
"We smelled fresh meat here.." the lead goblin, who was wearing a large multihorned helmet stared at Quatre. "Who is this boy?"   
_A gift for the Lady of the Southern Kingdoms.._   
Quatre couldn't stand the stench they were giving off.. it wasn't as much a smell as it was a feel..he took a step away as he noticed the others watching him, his hand subconsciously clenching into a fist.   
"He doesn't look like he's very strong.. perhaps we could sell him."   
_You'll do nothing to him if you wish to keep the wrath of the Southern armies away from you.._   
"And how will they find out!" the goblin charged towards the shadow, digging an axe deep into the cloudish form.   
And suddenly a bright ball of white light came straight at him. The goblin shrieked in shock and jumped back, covering its eyes in pain.. The rest of the group stared in shocked horror.. then stared at the source.   
Quatre's eyes had become a torrid blue-green, changing quickly like the waves of a sea. His outstretched hand was crackling with energy, and his face was oddly dreamlike.   
"Leave. Now.." Quatre warned.   
The others gaped and stepped back, two brave warriors carrying towards their blinded cheif. Quatre watched, the blue green waves in his eyes almost encasing and covering his pupils.   
When the Goblins were out of sight, he collapsed against the ground, nearly fainting from sudden overwhelming exhaustion. Small white burns covered his hand, the only sign that the incident had ever happened.

**************************************************************   


  


*phew* I actually got this part out pretty quick.. Yes, I know it's more confusing but it makes more sense as it goes along. This is mainly a non-planned story so it's very interesting to write. I hope it doesn't seem _too_ strange..   
And once again I just ask you to review so I know whether to keep adding parts to it on here or not.. I'm sure it'll get more interesting as the story goes along.


	3. Default Chapter Title

**Untitled Chapter V**   
****************************************

Wu Fei stared at it and then slowly pointed a finger at Duo. "Death." He reached towards the tapestry and pointed to the image of Quatre. "Healer.." "I'm guessing the others are you guys.."   
"Makes sense.." Trowa answered with dulled interest. "Only, the question is why? And what does it all mean?"   
"That something's going to happen. Something big." Wu Fei replied, his face completely calm. "And we're in the middle of it." he stared at his two companions. "We need to find Quatre and Heero.. So how do you suggest we go about it?"   
"We don't.. They'll come here." Trowa answered. "This is where we're being pulled,"   
"I'm hungry."   
For just a second, a look of "Did he just say what I think he said?" appeared on both Trowa and Wu Fei's faces. They stared at Duo, who stared back.   
"What? Geez.. You guys are getting all stern and 'This is our mission now' tangent and I'm wasting away!"   
"Why did we have to meet him first?" Trowa whispered under his breath.   
"Because we're cursed." Wu Fei answered.

"How long.." Heero repeated firmly. "Have you been able to do that?"   
"Not long." Quatre admitted. "I don't even know how it happens.. I just focus on something.."   
"And it happens. Hm." Heero tapped his fingers on the wood. "And you weren't focusing on me at all.."   
"No."   
Heero quietly pondered all the information, wondering if there was far more going on than he'd first thought. If Quatre hadn't been responsible for the glow around him..   
"They're close."   
"Yeah.." Heero replied. "I figured as much.." he stepped outside into the cool salty night air and paced towards the crew decks. So far the only irritable thing about being a pirate captain was that he was the only one who could yet fit the reputation.   
He noticed the lookout on the front of the deck and made a slight noise in his throat. It was Red, as he was called.. Another thing Heero had noticed was that most of the crew went by nicknames instead of using their formal birth ones.   
"Sir!! I didn't see you sneak up!" Red instantly saluted and stood waiting for orders.   
"What are we near?"   
"Huh?"   
"What are we near." Heero repeated.   
"Well sir we're on the bank of the Northern Kingdoms.. near the White Castle actually."   
"And is this place well guarded?"   
"Well.. not exactly. They haven't had any big fights in at least a thousand years.."   
"Good. Then we'll go there.."   
"But.."   
Heero glared slightly. "You do want raiding practice don't you?"   
"Yes but.."   
"Then tell everyone to start heading for the castle."   
"Yessir!" Red saluted again as Heero walked off.   
Heero calmly stepped back inside his quaters then noticed Quatre had fallen asleep at the table. For a moment, he hesitated to thinking of moving the blonde to a bed, but then decided it would be easier just to leave him. Yawning, he collapsed on his own bunkbed and stared calmly at the wooden walls, trying to predict what the next day would bring.

Quatre began to slowly revive as the rocking of the boat began to slow down. He blinked a few times then noticed the small bit of food in front of his face.   
There was a slight jar and he fell flat on the floor. Quatre let out a sharp cry as the wood hit his burned hands and instantly turned around to avoid the pain.   
Waiting a second for the throbbing to stop, he walked outside into the bright sun.   
The pirates stared at him tensely for a moment, then began to go back to their duties. Heero was standing at the bow, watching as they began to slowly pack up a few bags and drag them towards the ground.   
"The castle's not too far from here, we could get there in a few hours.. according to them." Heero stated.   
"Okay." Quatre replied. "Anything else?"   
"Don't do anything like you did yesterday." Heero warned.   
"I know." Quatre said with a slight scolding I-am-NOT-Duo tone.   
"Mm." Heero looked at the group of nervous pirates and went into a commanding tone. "You four come with me, the rest of you stay here.."   
"Yessir!" they all announced in unison as they saluted.   
Heero jumped off the side of the boat, followed by Quatre. Wading through the shallow water, they pulled up a pack and walked off into the distance.

They approached the large castle, more or less intact and not the least bit tired. Heero took in the sight with an odd acceptance while Quatre just stared in wonder.   
"It's huge.."   
"Yeah." Heero replied. "Might take us a little while to find them.."   
The pirates walked steadily behind him, humming an insanely cheery sea song. The group approached the drawbridge, the guards watching them closely.   
"What business have you here?" one asked, gripping tighter to his spear and looking at Heero's sword.   
"We just came for the market."   
"Hmph. You'll have to leave those here.."   
Growling in response, Heero slowly took the sword out of its sheath and held it to the guard. The pirates did the same. Finally, they were allowed entrance to the castle.   
Inside, the first thing they noticed was the noise. From every side, there was a loud din of excited voices and fighting over prices. Quatre breathed in a deep sigh, enjoying the surroundings. He was ready to stuff his hands into his pockets when he felt something dry and wrinkly wrap around them.   
He let out a loud yelp of surprise and faced his attacker. An old, old woman stared back at him, her face partially covered by a hood. Her long white hair fell against her shoulders, and as she examined his hand a large toothless grin appeared.   
"You.. You're one of them!" she cackled almost gleefully. "You're a.."   
"Please ma'am.. could you release my hand?" Quatre said with sudden nervousness.   
"You may be able to hide it from them but not from me.." the toothy grin returned. "Mage.."   
Quatre's face went white. "What.. what did you say?"   
"Grandmother!" a scolding voice toned. A woman in a white dress and wearing a small headdress approached. "You know better than to scare newcomers in the market.." she pulled the wizened woman's hand away from Quatre. "You must excuse her.. she's becoming senile.."   
"Mage.." she repeated again softly as she was led away. "So the time has finally come.."   
Quatre rubbed his wrist, his blue eyes oddly wide.

Against the darkness there were small black patches of tar, the only remains of those who had once lived. For now though, it was time to await the sentencing from the master.   
"So you're telling me that he escaped while you were asleep.." she whispered annoyedly.   
_Yes m'lady but.._   
"But what.."   
_He must have used a spell.._   
"The boy doesn't know spells yet. How could he possibly.."   
_I don't know._   
"That's right." a cold smile appeared on her face. "I wonder, would you like to be turned into nothingness like your comrades, or perhaps I could leave you as a toad. Would you like that?"   
The shadow suppressed a shiver. Then again, perhaps a toad was better than this..   
Then suddenly it felt a severe pain in its side. Before it could think, it was tossed against the ground and was unable to move.   
A cold, darkened fire began to grow in its eyes.   
_Yes m'lady.._ it drifted into a faint ball of air and then into nothingness.   
This time, she was certain the job would be done. As she shifted back towards the window, her boots only making the slightest noise, she wondered what kind of magic the boy had been using to change the personality of such a creature. Taking in a deep breath, she felt stronger. Even now, the changes were coming.. she could sense it.   
All she needed was the boy for her plans.. for their plans to come into effect.   
The cold smile flashed again. That was fine.. she had plenty of backup armies, waiting to be used.   
She was aware of the faint movement beside her as the small rush of anticipation came. Yes.. very soon..

Another small pair of eyes watched the scene from far away, a hidden smile appearing on a face. He'd have to meet these five warriors soon.. very soon indeed.

"If anyone can locate them, it will be someone from the royalty." Heero said with calmly. "There's no way that Duo at least hasn't made enough trouble to be noticed."   
Quatre let out a soft laugh then turned around. "Where'd the pirates go?"   
"They 'raided' and then left to camp out on the beach." Actually, they'd run around buying as many things as possible.   
"Okay." Quatre said as they slowly approached a very large cool hallway.   
Sitting around a grand dark brown table were Duo, Trowa, Wu Fei, and a girl and an older man. From their clothes, Heero got the idea that it was none other than the king and queen of the land.   
Duo jerked his head up and grinned, a piece of some type of animal meat still being eaten. "Mphh! Hmeermph!!" he waved. "Hjih! Yough wansht shtome?!!"   
Trowa and Wu Fei glared, then noticed the two. Trowa seemed suddenly relieved while Wu Fei went into regular Wu Fei mode.   
"About time you show up.."   
The king stared at them calmly. He had short dark grey hair and a calm passive face. Probably has never been in a battle.. Heero thought to himself amusedly. The girl sitting next to him however showed strength, but it was well hidden.   
Quatre's eyes drifted around the room, the color of the irises changing very slightly. Slowly, steadily he turned around and stared at a blank wall.   
Dark red eyes stared back at him, and he saw the fire burning inside.

*******************************************************************************

Yes. That was boring and kind of long but I wanted to try and get something out before Thanksgiving. Next time it's going to get more interesting, I assure you.. And yes, I _am_ reading your reviews so watch out.. *evil grin* Some ideas that _you've_ made could appear on here!!   
Also, *bows head* I'm sorry about all the red stuff last time. My Escaflowne DVD had come in while I was writing it and well, if you've seen the uncensored version then you'll know why some of it showed up.

**_Happy Turkey Day everyone!!_**


	4. Default Chapter Title

**Untitled Pt VI**   
*********************************************

"So these are your friends?" Anne asked as she stared at the two newcomers.   
"Yup. That's Heero, the antisocial, and Quatre, who's.. not."   
"Pleased to meet you." Quatre bowed, his hands behind his back. Heero grunted.   
"Same." Anne replied. "You may take a seat if you'd like.."   
Heero and Quatre sat down at the end of the table. Anne stared at Quatre with an unusual interest. "You know it's rude to keep your hands under the table here."   
"Where we come from you're not supposed to keep them in view," Heero countered, his voice completely monotone. Quatre nodded weakly.   
"Strange culture." the king mused. "I suppose you're staying the night then."   
"If it's not too much trouble.." Quatre shifted in his seat. "I'd rather not bother you.. You do have a country to run."   
"There's no trouble, this country is peaceful and appreciates visits from foreigners.. Besides, it's very amusing having him here.." he motioned to Duo. "Much better than any court jester."   
"If we leave you can keep him here.." Wu Fei added, a small smirk on his face.   
"Ha. Ha." Duo mumbled. "Just because I have a sense of humor.."   
Quatre's attention focused completely on where he'd seen Dark. There was something in that gaze which had chilled him to the bone, but he couldn't quite place it. So far his dreams had been insights to something great happening; but he hadn't believed it would be starting so quickly..   
Images rushed through his head faster than he could catch them. For just a few seconds, he felt himself be dragged back into a nightmare, watching as things suddenly became encompassed by a black blur..   
"Quatre?"   
"Huh?" Quatre jerked up momentarily. Trowa stared back at him. Suddenly they were the only ones in the room, and the sun was setting against the horizon through one of the windows.   
"Everyone's leaving now."   
"Right.. I'm sorry." he whispered softly. "Zoning out again."   
"They've assigned you a room, I don't think you want to stay here all night."   
"Wait.. I mean," Quatre shuffled nervously. "Trowa would you mind if I stayed in your room tonight?"   
Trowa stared at him momentarily then walked towards a large mountain of steps. "It's fine."   
Quatre followed him up the steps, feeling the warning in the back of his mind.

Trowa had fallen asleep in the large bed hours ago, but Quatre was still awake in the large chair he'd chosen to sleep in. His small frame fit perfectly against the large piece of furniture, but he didn't feel like drifting off just yet.   
Pulling the blanket off, he slowly reached for a small candle, a tiny flicker of light appearing in it on command. Quatre walked out of the room, his face calm. Carefully, he walked through the darkened corridors until he came to it..   
The tapestry seemed to dance in the candlelight, the pictures almost becoming living. This was what had haunted him so many nights, those horrible images which wouldn't leave his dreams alone.. slowly he slipped his free hand against the center, feeling the strange pulse through his fingers. The white aura started to swirl around him, making the small flame from the candle seem no more than a speck.   
Meanwhile, as Trowa slept peacefully a deep peaceful green surrounded him just as a darkened grey glow radiated from Duo.

And then, Quatre opened his eyes and stared forward. The shadow monster stared back..   
Heero, Duo, and Trowa all rose from bed instantly. There was a sudden scream of pain coming from outside, which they all identified as Quatre.   
Heero jumped out of bed and grabbed his sword, tugging a shirt on as he ran. He heard Duo's loud footsteps behind him.   
In the tapestry room, as they'd all dubbed it, Quatre was laying against the ground trembling, a large gash in his side. The shadow was bending over him, its hands against his throat.   
"Wait a second.. that's the thing that attacked the first time!"   
"First time?" Heero growled as he slowly unsheathed his sword. He'd never seen anything like it, but the first thing in his mind was that it was an obstruction to a mission.   
And Heero knew how to deal with obstructions.   
"Yeah.. uh, guess I forgot to mention it. Heero what do you think you're gonna do? You can't handle a sword!!"   
Heero glared and ran towards the shadow, ready to slice the thing through the gut. The steel collided with the darkness, making the shadow roar in pain. He felt a large claw swipe into him, sending him straight into the wall.   
_DON'T!!_ he felt the faint order in his mind.   
Heero growled. Why shouldn't I? he glanced at Quatre's limp form and noticed the blue eyes staring at him.   
_Don't hurt him.. It's not his fault.._ Quatre weakly cringed. _ It's not his fault.._   
Trowa ran into the room, his first concern getting Quatre to safety.   
Taking one last glance at the blonde, Heero growled and slowly pulled himself up, clutching tighter to the sword. "Keep him busy.."   
"You're joking right?!" Duo gulped.   
"We have to get Quatre out of here." he glanced at Trowa. "This thing can't be killed."   
Duo cursed silently under his breath as the shadow came charging at him. Trowa took the moment to pick Quatre up and run out of the room before the shadow could get rid of his first two attackers.   
Heero felt himself be slammed up against the wall again and heard a faint crack of bones. He cringed and growled, bracing himself for another attack. They had to wait just a few minutes for Trowa to transport the blonde to safety, then they could stop..   
The shadow stared at them, looking extra menacing. Slowly, a gruff chuckle escaped from it and Heero felt himself glare in response.   
There was a few moments of pure tension; each being trying to stare down the other. And then Heero's eyes focused in realization.. there was some other force behind this creature's motivations..   
But before he could find out anymore, the shadow disappeared..   
Heero stood up, wincing slightly as suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his side. Sliding down against the ground, he waited a few seconds for the aching in his back to stop.   
"Duo, find him.. the thing's gone after Quatre again."   
"But.."   
"Do it. I'll come in a second."   
Duo finally nodded and ran down after Trowa. Heero grimaced in pain, then noticed a strange figure sitting near the window.. Before he could get a good look however, everything became hazy..

Quatre let out a soft groan as Trowa ran, but at the moment he believed that the blonde could stand the pain. Not knowing where to go, he simply stopped and looked at the two doorways facing him.   
_Lost already? That's too bad.._ two darkened red eyes manifested in the wall as the shadow began to appear. _Give him to me.._   
Trowa backed up, gripping tighter on the blonde. The shadow's hand suddenly came up, and he felt his grip loosening. His entire body became weak, and he dropped to the ground.   
The last thing he saw before blacking out was Quatre being pulled away from him.   


Very very slowly, Heero began to come to. He was laying on the ground while one of the servant girls tended to him.   
"Don't move too much, you've had some pretty bad bruises.." she warned.   
Using most of his strength, Heero somehow managed to stand up. She stared at him scoldingly and then gently examined the cuts on his side. Roughly pushing her away, he stumbled down the hallway.   
Staring out the window, he felt the shock run through him. The sun was setting!! Had he really been out for so long?   
_You'll never get him back that way.._ a voice chuckled.   
Heero stared around for the source of the voice but there was nothing.   
_I'm outside.._   
Limping over to his sword, Heero walked towarsd the small courtyard, green courtyard. Outside, the others minus Quatre were standing with a confused expression. Though Duo had come out mostly unharmed, Trowa had several bruises around his face and he showed definite anger. They were all staring forward quietly.   
Then Heero saw their watcher. He was tiny, only up to Heero's waist with light balding brown hair and a calm stare. He was wearing a brown robe and a pair of old boots, looking more like a comical doll than anything else.   
Was this the thing that had been controlling the monster last night?   
Growling, he reached for his sword.   
"Don't." the figure warned, his eyes becoming icy. "Kill me now and your friend will suffer a fate worse than you can imagine...."

**************************************************************

Yes, I got this out in a major hurry and with not much rush of creativity.. but I _did _get a little bit accomplished. Now in the next chapter I can start explaining stuff.. so I guess it's worth it.   
Big thanks to those who have been reading this, it really helps to have a little support! :-)


	5. Default Chapter Title

**Untitled Pt. VII**   
***********************

  
  
  
  


Heero very slowly sheathed his sword again as the small figure walked closer. He smirked and shook his head.   
"Now, I'd think you'd want to listen.. My name is Frederick an.."   
"Frederick?!" Duo snickered sightly.   
Frederick glared and instantly jerked his hand up.   
Duo stopped laughing, his eyes going wide as he gripped at his throat.   
"Now that he's quiet.." Frederick stared around waiting for a response. The others were silent.   
"I'm what you could call a wizard I suppose.. I don't look much like one, but appearances are deceiving after all.."   
"Wizard..." Wu Fei repeated calmly. Duo was still trying to get out a small squeak from his vocal cords.   
"Yes. I came because I believed you'd be wanting help.. or at least information."   
"You know where Quatre is.."   
"Your friend? No, but I have a very good idea.." the small wizard responded. "And if you try to save him now then you'll be walking towards your own death."   
"That's not very helpful." Heero muttered, annoyed by wasting time.   
Frederick stared momentarily then began to chuckle. "Yes.. you are indeed foreigners. Your friend has been taken to the Southern Kingdoms where he will be guarded by things which you can't even begin to imagine until either his will breaks or he dies, either which will work to their advantage.."   
"Their?" Trowa repeated.   
"This world is based on two powers; the Dark and the Light; good and the bad you could say." Frederick sat down against a small, brown worn rock. "Every thousand years a shift in the balance occurs, brought on by the birth, or in your case.. coming of a powerful musicians.. mages as we call them."   
"Quatre," Trowa said with sudden realization.   
"That's right. You're a fast one.." Frederick stared. "However, since they have very little control over their power, they become susceptible to other forces; if they're around 'good', then the power will eventually become that of the Light. If they're around 'bad'; it will become tainted and.. well I don't need to go into the details." he stared calmly forward. "A thousand years of turmoil could very well completely wipe out this land."   
"So why were we brought into this?" Heero asked, his mind reeling through the consequences.   
"That's what I'm not sure of. It seems this time is very important." Frederick began to chuckle again." he stared at Duo and made a wave with his hand.   
Duo let out a deep sigh and then his eyes widened in realization. "Youweretheonewhobroughtushere!!!"   
"I found you. Your friend pulled you here." he replied calmly. "And now the rest of this is up to you.." very slowly the small chubby man began to disappear.   
"Wait!!" Duo ordered, but Frederick was completely gone.   


Anne watched warily as her father paced back and forth, his gaze grave.   
"What's wrong?" she finally broke the silence.   
The king looked at her momentarily then forced a weakened smile on his face. "Just a few matters, they don't concern you so don't worry."   
"Then what do they concern?"   
The door busted open and one of the guards came inside, panting from physical exhaustion. "Sir.. it's been confirmed."   
"That's what I was worried about.." the king stared lonesomely out the window. "Call all the abled men in the area, tell them to come to the courtyard."   
"Yes sir." he saluted.   
"Tell me what's going on!" Anne announced sternly. "Or I'll find out myself.."   
The king sighed and bowed his head. "We had a messenger from the Southern Kingdoms. They're declaring war on us.."   
Her face paled slightly but she covered it up with regal dignity. "And we'll fight them.."   
"We will guard the country, nothing more." he replied calmly.   
"That won't do any good and you know it!" Anne snapped back. "The Southern armies have probably been planning this for a long time!!"   
The king didn't reply.   
Anne left the room, filled with sudden nervous anticipation. First the blonde had disappeared, now this..   
She slowly moved her dresser aside, exposing a small cut in the wood. She pulled it up, exposing a very long, silver sword..   
_We'll be seeing battle soon.._ she thought to herself as she slowly wrapped it in a large blanket. _I know just who to give you to.._

Heero stared momentarily at where the small wizard had been, then walked steadily back towards the inside of the castle.   
"Hey, Heero! Wait up!!" Duo ran after him.   
"Get your things ready, we're leaving.."   
"Huh?"   
"The only way to get Quatre back.. to save this place is for us to figure out that legend.." Heero stared momentarily at the tapestry. "And we don't have that much time.."   
"Hmph.." Duo grumbled. "Okay.." he, Trowa, and Wu Fei all departed to think about the next few days would bring.   
Heero pulled his pirate coat on and reached for his sword.   
"Wait."   
He turned to see Anne standing in the doorway.   
"I can't go.. but I'll offer as much help as I can," she handed him a silver sword, the light glinting off the sides of it. "This has been in my family for years, but now I believe is the time to use it.."   
Slowly, Heero took the sword from her and examined it. She bowed and left the room.   
_Good luck.._ she thought to herself as she made her own preparations.

Drip.. drip..   
It was dark. Very dark..   
Wearily, he began to fight against exhaustion to open his eyes. Slowly a blurred image came into view.. yet there really wasn't much to see.   
His hands were clasped together in a tight bond.. kept close by some type of tarred rope. It didn't matter anyway, he wasn't ready to move or make an escape plan.   
"So, you're up.." a cold feminine voice mused. "I was wondering how long it would take you to come back to consciousness.."   
Quatre stared warily forward as a small bit of light began to enter the room.   
She was tall with dark crimson hair; almost like fire. Her eyes had the same reddish tint to them, covered up with brown. Instead of wearing a dress, the woman had on what seemed to be the clothes of a warlord.   
"You don't look that menacing in person. Although.. I'm sure you're quite poweful.." she stared at him closer, and Quatre began to notice the dancing flames in her eyes. "My name is Elaina.." she let out a soft, mock childish giggle. "And you'll be feeling much better very soon.."   
A cold wind blew through the room, with it a sudden pain in his side. For just a small second, his eyes began to melt into shades of blue and green..

End of the First Series   
**********************************************************

  
  


No, I'm not ending here, but this will be a stopping point.. I guess I'm going to title this thing "Those Who Make Legends", so watch for that...   
If this doesn't fit what a mage is correctly I'm sorry.. I flipped through about 5 or 6 dictionaries and I just had to go by my computer's thesaurus..   
Yes, I know I really stink at names. Actually, Frederick comes from Frederick William(sp?) which if you look at your history book you might be able to find..   
And to those of you who have reviewed.. YOU GUYS ROCK!!   



	6. Default Chapter Title

**Those Who Make Legends**   
IX   
******************************************

  


At first glance, one would imagine the forest to be welcoming and cheerful. However, it's a rule of thumb never to judge something by first glances.   
As soon as the three Gundam pilots had entered the large area, the air became cooler and more dense. Most of the sunlight had been swallowed up by the top of the trees, making only small rays touch the leafy ground. Even the chirping of birds had changed to a low mournful call.   
"If we keep heading in this direction we should be out of here soon," Trowa judged.   
"Hopefully," Wu Fei added as he stared paranoidly at the trees. "It feels like someone's been watching us for hours.."   
Trowa felt an odd tickling in the back of his mind. He glanced around, half expecting some sort of creature to jump out and attack them. The silence persisted however, only marred by the slight sound of the crunching of leaves under the weight of the horses.   
There it was again.. Trowa halted instantly. A whisper, a warning..   
Or was it just his imagination playing tricks on him?   
Did he have an imagination?   
It took a moment for him to realize that he'd been too deep in his thoughts to keep up with the others. When he'd snapped out of his trance, he was all alone in a thick, musty glade.   
"Wu Fei? Duo?" he asked silently.   
Nothing. Just the whistling of the wind.   
There was a soft whistling and Trowa found himself once again listening to the weird whispers. Trying to steer his horse back from where they came, he could only struggle to keep the horse calm.   
Trowa began to consider his options, debating whether to try finding a path or else staying in the same place.   
If only he had some sort of direction..   
As if in response to his thoughts, some of the tree branches began to very slowly lean towards the left, forming an odd line.   
Taking it as a good sign, Trowa followed the pointing branches to whever they led.

Heero stared vacantly at the ocean, his eyes half closed. After a second he turned around and faced the ghostlike figure in front of him.   
"I was wondering if you'd try to get in contact with one of us.."   
"Sorry," Quatre bowed his head. "I'm not exactly very good with this." he was dressed in his regular khaki pants, but his shirt was white.   
"So?"   
"I'm not sure." Quatre answered. "I guess I don't have that much time before you wake up.."   
"Then it's going to happen? The rest.."   
"Yeah." Quatre replied as his expression became sad and tired. "It seems unavoidable now.." he shifted uneasily. "Just keep them away, you're the only one I can trust with this."   
"Quatre?" Heero could feel himself slowly waking up from the dream.. already his vision was shifting.   
"Hm?"   
"You're a damned idiot."   
Quatre smiled. "Maybe."   
The world blurred and Heero wearily opened his eyes to see himself back in the captain's cabin of the ship. There was a soft smell of breakfast coming from the galley, and he considered making an appearance.   
He vacantly wondered how the others were doing on their own.

Elaina stared at the maps and then looked back around the room. Her advisors stood, staring at her calmly.   
D'kan, a Goblin, had been under her service for several decades. Then there was Ch'uct, a spidery man who had earned respect for his intellect.   
"We should start from the East," D'kan muttered in a gravelly tone. "They don't have enough defense as it is.."   
"That's fine," she tapped her nails against the table. "What about the forested areas?"   
"What about them?"   
"Burn them," she replied boredly. "Save us some trouble."   
"Yes m'lady." they bowed. "We'll start working on preparing the armies.."   
She glanced at the shadow that was watching them. It blinked and silently drifted off again. Uninterested, she drifted back towards the staircase and ascended quietly to the prisoner's room.   
The blonde was sleeping against the bed, his face contorted between stress and sudden peace. She could sense the dark energy drawing towards him like a magnet, but at the same time his own will was pushing it back.   
It would be quite fun to watch his strength crack and shatter.   
Quite fun indeed..

Trowa continued down the ongoing path, searching each way for some type of indication that soon he'd be back on the right track. However, it kept going and going without any sort of stopping point. As he continued, the whisperings became worse. By now, he'd almost been able to make words out of it.   
If one considered a constant mix of rustling leaves and noises 'words'.   
"Are you an elf?"   
Trowa stopped immediately and turned, finding the source of the noise.   
It was a little girl, dressed in a short brown tunic which seemed to change shades as she moved. Her brownish blonde hair was mussed and her eyes were bright green. Physically, she looked no older than 8, but Trowa felt like this girl was much older.   
"I said, are you an elf?" she said with a slight giggle. "I haven't seen elves in ages."   
"Ages?"   
"Yes! But.. if you're not an elf then how could you find your way here?" she frowned. "Unless.. No, not you, but you do have the eyes of one." her face became slightly serious. "Why did you come here?"   
"I was hoping you could tell me," Trowa answered calmly. "All I did was follow a path.."   
"Then.. yes!! This is perfect!!" the girl seemed to suddenly spring to life. "You're the one! Oh you must excuse me.. I'm not used to formalities. My name is Autumn."   
"Autumn.." seemed fitting.   
"I'm a spirit of course.. " she smirked. "But you're really not an elf?"   
Trowa shook his head.   
"That's too bad," she sighed disappointedly. "I was hoping to see an elf, but they are so shy these days."   
"Autumn, could you perhaps tell me what you mean by 'the one'?"   
"Oh you'll find out soon enough, but you need to rest first. Please, come with me," Autumn motioned towards a small path which Trowa hadn't noticed before. "I'll see what I can do to help you.. But your horse will have to stay here."   
Trowa stepped off his horse and tied the reins against a branch. The horse's face became sad, but Trowa gently reassured her that he'd be back soon. Autumn walked off, Trowa following.   
Autumn approached a tree and immediately disappeared. Trowa stopped, waiting for her to appear again.   
Autumn giggled once again and stuck her head out from the tree. "Don't you want to come inside?" she grabbed onto his hand and pulled him in.

"I'm sorry that this place is so messy, but I can't complain.."   
Outisde, all he'd seen was a tree. Inside however, it was much different. A large oak table was the center of the room, around it small wooden stumps that substituted as chairs. On one wall was a leafy curtain, which he believed led to another room.   
"Come sit down," Autumn motioned towards one of the wooden seats. "I won't be long."   
Trowa sat, examining the area. He tapped his fingers against the wooden table, considering where the others could be.   
There was a faint whisper again and Trowa stared back at the wall, noticing how the leaves seemed to shudder.   
_Is it me?_ Trowa wondered to himself.   
The whisper became softer.   
"They like you.." it was Autumn again, but something was definitely different about her.   
Instead of the childish girl he'd met on the road, he was suddenly faced with a older version, her hair suddenly growing down to her shoulders.. and looking like some type of beauty queen. "I thought you'd feel more comfortable if I looked your age,"   
"A little," Trowa lied.   
She came closer, very slowly leaning down and looking him straight in the eye. Before Trowa could made a move, she'd came close and kissed his lips. Suddenly Trowa's eyes widened in surprise as a green hue began to surround him.   
There was another long moment of silence, and she drew away, her expression excited. "I _knew_ you were the one!!"

*********************************************  
  
Hmm, I wonder how long it will take me to finish the rest of this. Wish me luck..   
And as always, thanks to those who reviewed!!


	7. Default Chapter Title

**Those Who Make Legends**   
pt. VIII   
********************************

  


"No way, no, uh uh, You're crazy.. I am _NOT_ getting on that thing!" Duo took another step back from the black horse that was slowly coming closer to him.   
"Then you can walk," Heero muttered darkly as he carefully steered the brown mare he was sitting on towards the gate. Trowa was next to him, atop a white steed, then Wu Fei who was on a large grey pony.   
"Uhh.. Walk? Nah, but.. Can't I have a black mustang instead?" Duo looked at him pitifully.   
Wu Fei rolled his eyes. "Just stop complaining and hurry up Maxwell!"   
Sighing miserably, Duo slowly eyed the horse as he jumped towards the saddle. It wasn't that he was _afraid_ of the horse, Shinigami was never afraid, but considering he'd never seen a horse in his life, he was allowed to be just _slightly_ intimidated.   
The horse stood still, allowing Duo to test his balance. Before he had a chance to say anything though, it instantly bolted off. Heero, Trowa, and Wu Fei followed.   
Anne watched from the castle gate, gently fingering a necklace in her hand. She bowed her head, wishing them as much luck as she possibly could.   


The darkness was very slowly descending over the horizon, making it harder and harder for the 4 riders to see. Duo and his black stallion had become almost completely invisible to the other's eyes while Wu Fei's horse had begun to stumble around.   
"Hey, guys, we should stop now.. before we get split up," Duo announced loudly.   
"Maybe." Heero replied calmly. "Find a clearing."   
"Yes sir!" Duo answered, now feeling almost cheerful. They approached a very small circle of trees where the group slid off their mounts and stretched out.   
"Duo go get some wood for fire.." Heero ordered.   
Duo nodded and sprinted off. Trowa searched the small area then set a small blanket against the most comfortable spot he could find. Wu Fei and Heero set down small but thick blanets as well and began sorting through their bags to find something edible.   
Duo came back a second later, holding a small batch of sticks and leaves. He dropped them in the center, then fell back against a rock rubbing his hands.   
After waiting another second he looked around and pouted softly. "No thanks?"   
Heero grunted and scooted over to the fire, very slowly slamming two thick stones against each other. However, no smoke rose, making Heero more annoyed.   
"Just light up already," Wu Fei huffed annoyedly.   
Then all of a sudden, a bright flame exploded from the wood. Heero jumped back, looking less-than-surprised. Accepting the strange event as just luck, he relaxed against his blanket.   
Wu Fei drew back, his face shocked. Very slowly he reached his hand out towards the fire, watching as it slowly began to curl around his fingers as if alive.   
Then he drew back, noticing no one had seen his feat. The others were too wrapped up in either eating or sleeping to care.   
Deciding to ignore the fire, he decided to instead search through his own bag to find some type of thing to eat.   


It had become very late.. all the others were sound asleep. However, Heero had been awake for some hours staring up at the sky.   
There was a small, rhythmic throb to the right; the sound of water crashing against a beach. Something was calling him back there, and for some reason he was beginning to consider returning.   
Heero stared vacantly towards the sea, remembering the boat was still waiting for him. The fire crackled lazily as the others slept around it.   
Carefully pulling up his pack, Heero pulled his coat back on him and stood up. The others would be fine, but he had his own agendas.   
"Where are you leaving to?" Trowa murmured, one green eye open.   
"You don't need me here," Heero answered, knowing Trowa wouldn't argue. "Not yet."   
Trowa closed his eyes again and his head dropped back against the small blanket. Heero walked towards the seashore, wondering if there was enough light to sneak in..   
There was a sudden yell of excitement and they all ran onboard, waving and cheering and making enough noise to alert anyone within a mile radius.   
Heero began to doubt his decision to come back.

"Can't believe Heero left.. jerk.." Duo muttered softly. "We need all the help we can get right now!"   
"I think Heero knows what he's doing," Trowa replied calmly. "His objective is different from ours."   
"What is our objective anyway?"   
"To stop the war," Wu Fei answered, looking somewhat grim. "And go home.."   
Home.. Duo thought to himself. The truth was home had seemed more like a distant dream for the past week, in fact it had seemed oddly natural for them to be here.   
"We should keep heading south," Trowa interrupted Duo's reverie. "Until something comes up."   
"Good plan," Duo answered with a slight hint of nervous humor. "What if it's some type of homicidal monster?"   
"Then we'll deal with it," Trowa answered passively. "Like we always do."   
"That's so reassuring from Mister-Run-Out-Of-Bullets."   
Trowa stared at him momentariily. Duo had become very somber, which was just slightly disturbing. Even Trowa had figured out Duo was at his most dangerous when he was serious.   
They continued heading down the path, seeing a very deep thick forest in the distance.

Quatre began to slowly revive again, still wincing slightly as he moved.   
He was sitting in a very small yet spacious bedroom, a small patch around his side wound. On the bed that he'd occupied, there was a new set of clothes which looked rather comfortable.   
There was a strange relaxed feeling in the room, but Quatre refused to let his guard down. Something, felt bad about this place.. like a snake waiting to attack.   
He walked numbly towards the window, looking at the scenery.   
It was dark.. a deep, cloudlike smog surrounded the areas. What he could make out were several towers, swarming with dark figures.   
"So you're up, I was wondering how long it would take." Elaina's voice rang through the room. "Welcome to my castle." she was still dressed in her warlord armor, her long firey hair tied back in a knot. "Impressed?"   
"Not really.." Quatre replied, his voice still polite.   
"You'll grow to like it, I'm sure.." she came forward, smiling dangerously. "After a little while it tends to grow on you."   
Quatre took a step back, not liking the smothering feeling she conveyed. A faint greenish blue tint appeared in his eyes and he felt his hands clench into fists.   
"There's no reason to act so hostile," she stepped back and stared at the window pensively. "Soon the rest of this land shall look like this," she stared momentarily at him, noticing the faint change of color in his eyes. "With your help of course.."   
"Never," he answered calmly, unaware of the changes in his eyes and the glowing energy from his fist. "You'd have to kill me first.."   
"I could do that too, but.." Elaina smirked. "It would be much more fun with your friends.." a bright orange fire danced in her eyes.   
All of a sudden Quare's hand shot out as a bright bolt of light headed straight for her. She held up her hand, a black shield suddenly blocking the shot. With a quick jerk of her hand, a sudden force entered the room and headed straight for her opponent. Quatre held his hands out again, taking the force head on. His hair blew back as the force became nothing more than a maddened wind.   
His hand dropped wearily to his side as the turmoil in his eyes began to calm. The greenish blue waves left his pupils, retreating back into the peaceful blue. The reddened flames which had taken over her gaze very slowly became snuffed out.   
"Not yet.." they both murmured at the same time. "Not yet."   
Quatre dropped weakly to his knees, his face covered in beads of sweat. Elaina smirked and left the room, locking the door behind her.

**********************************************************************

Okay, I'm sorry, as I said this was really rushed and I was at a slight loss of ideas.. I don't know when I'll get the next part out but I'll try my best!!   
Once again, thanks to everyone who reviews. It makes writing a lot more enjoyable when you know others are enjoying reading it! :-)


	8. Default Chapter Title

**Those Who Make Legends**   
**X**   
*************************

Elaina watched as the armies marched out to their destinations. It had taken 500 years, but now it was finally beginning to come into place..   
500 years of waiting, for the people to show up, for the time to be right.. There was no way she'd lose now.   
She heard a faint noise and saw Quatre descending towards the lookout balcony. Changed into a black pair of pants and a white shirt, he looked suddenly very tired and weak.   
Good.. the strain was slowly taking over.   
"Come to cheer the army on? They'll soon be taking over this entire land.."   
"Perhaps," Quatre replied, looking extremely passive under the tired mask.   
"You're too quiet," she mused silently. "That's not healthy at all.."   
Quatre stared boredly at the marching armies, feeling the cold wind spin around him. "You're very confident that they'll succeed.."   
"I have no reason not to be. The other kingdoms have no protection,"   
"But your army is too concentrated,"Quatre replied as he turned to walk away. "It would be wiser to send out smaller troops in various directions," as he said it, just the slightest bit of blackness to appear in his eyes.   


"What _one_?" Trowa repeated.   
"The Fates said someone would come and protect the forest.." Autumn repeated for the 50th time in a row. "And this person, is you.." she stopped pensively. "Then a mage _has_ come.."   
"Which means,"   
"Hm? Oh, yes.. Yes, the Fates said that one with the power to waken the forest would come, and protect it from the oncoming war.."   
Trowa shook his head. "Then you have the wrong person,"   
"I don't think so, it seems clear to me now," Autumn smirked. "You're our protector now.." she very slowly bowed her head. "If you fail, we will all die.."   
"But.."   
"Do this," Autumn whispered silently. "Because you're the only one who can.."   
He blinked and tried to argue, but all of a sudden he was in the middle of a grassy meadow, sitting on a rock. Beside him was a bow and pack of arrows.   
"What the.."   
There was only the faint whisperings coming from the trees.   


"Hey Trowa! Trowa!!" Duo yelled. "Where are you Trowa?!"   
"Will you stop yelling you idiot?!" Wu Fei snapped angrily, and just as loud. "For all we know there could be some weird type of life form here besides you!"   
"But.." Duo sighed. "Okay, but.."   
"Don't dishonor yourself any further," Wu Fei sighed. "I'll search this way and meet back with you in an hour.   
"Okay.." Duo answered as he started to head in the other direction.   
For a few hours he continued to drift around, not noticing the sudden change in surroundings from a peaceful forest to a semi-rocky terrain. Perhaps it was some trick of fate that was taking him into a different part of the land, but he was far, far away from where he'd started.   
Out of nowhere, three goblins sprang out, their large axes glistening in the moonlight. The horse reared, throwing Duo off and onto the ground.   
He rolled against the ground, barely missing his braid being chopped in half. He twisted around, kicked a gobin straight in the stomach, and then picked up a big stick. With a quick swipe, he'd knocked out two more and was about take out the third.   
The Goblin stared, his eyes wide. "You've come.. Death has come.."   


Heero watched as the pirate crew shuffled about, looking slightly meaner than they had yesterday. For the most part, all it had taken was keeping them up all night and making them eat late for the crew to be in the right state of mind for education.   
And so far, they were looking like they were semi-learning. The cheerful grins were still there, but they muttered to themselves as they did their chores.   
"Get moving, we need to leave.."   
The pirates all perked up.   
"We're going to head towards the Southern Kingdom," Heero announced nonchalantly. "Before sundown.."   
"But.. sir!!" Red shook nervously. "The Southern Kingdom?"   
"You want to get stronger don't you?" Heero asked as he approached his cabin door.   
"Yes but.."   
"We're going," Heero replied calmly.   
"Yes sir!!" Red saluted, but still looked very nervous.

Anne watched as the men marched out, looking not in the least bit like the trained army that was needed. Some of the soldiers were barely even teenagers, and they were to be expected to keep the Southern forces from invading!   
She very slowly fitted a helmet over her head and rested a sword against her hip. She spurred her horse forward, heading towards the front.   
"What are you doing here?" one of the retired generals asked. "Shouldn't you be back at the castle?"   
"I'm going to fight of course," Anne replied curtly. "You need all the help you can get.."   
The general sighed. "If your father finds out we will both not return from this alive.."   
"We might not anyway," Anne gripped tighter on the reins. "We just might not.."

He stared vacantly at the wall, listening to the silence.   
"Come out," Quatre ordered calmly. "I need to talk to you.."   
The shadow manifested against the candlelight in the room. _What is it?_   
Quatre closed his eyes. "As I said, we need to talk.."   
Dark remained perfectly still as the blonde stared at him. Very slowly a flicker of something appeared in his eyes and he nodded. _Yes._   
The next morning Dark was nowhere to be found, and Quatre's eyes had dimmed into darkness.

***********************************************

*phew* Sorry guys. I wanted to get a part in at my regular deadline. Trying to forumulate more ideas but writer's block has been stalking me so I don't know how long it will take me to get out more parts!!


	9. Default Chapter Title

**Those Who Make Legends**   
**XI**   
**********************************

Trowa continued contemplating Autumn's orders, very slowly picking up the longbow and shooting an arrow at a small faraway stump. Each time, he'd hit the target, even if he hadn't been paying attention.   
"Barton where have you been?!" an annoyed Wu Fei bellowed. "Do you know how long we've been looking for you?"   
"Oh," Trowa replied in his usual calm fashion. "Where's Duo?"   
"He.. Wandered off too," Wu Fei's face paled. "Which means we have to go look for him.."   
Trowa stood up, picked up the bow and quiver of arrows, and walked over to his horse. "Let's go then before he gets himself in trouble."   


Duo was in trouble.   
He had no idea where he was, his horse ran off, leaving him with only a small pack of provisions and a cloak to keep himself warm. The goblin had run away, meaning there was no one to ask directions for.   
Plus, he had the insanely realistic feeling that he was being watched from all sides.   
Nervously, he glanced around as he hefted the large black cloak around his shoulders. The dark forest was eventually changing into a large cliffs, looking very dangerous and spooky.   
Yet something pulled him towards them, and he figured that it was better than staying around waiting for someone to come and find him. Staring at the large cliffs, it slowly occurred to him that there were very tiny cracks and fissures, just the size for someone to creep through. Duo carefully tested one of the larger cracks, finding it easy to slip through.   
Inside it was a small cavern, lit by small glowing mushrooms. There was a faint dripping noise, followed by a cool rush of air from some open crack.   
The ground was oddly soft, in fact it didn't feel at all like rock. Duo continued to walk through the cavern, relying on basic instincts to guide him out of there. As he continued, it became darker and darker until everything had been swallowed up by the blackness. Still, Duo kept going.   
It could have been anywhere from a few minutes to a few days when he began to see light again. He kept going, listening to the faint crunch of the ground as he walked.   
A ray of light slid through another crevice, and Duo climbed towards it.

_Look to the west of the smoking sands._   
_Where only Death shall cross these lands._

Outside the caves the environment was totally different. Every way he looked, all he could see were large thorn bushes and endless waves of sand.   
There it was again.. the feeling that he was being watched, only this time it was added to the fact that he suddenly felt like he was being followed by several unknown forces. Every now and then, there were signs of dried out skeletons, perhaps of people who had come to this land before.   
_Keep going.._ something urged. _Keep going this way!_   
Duo winced as he approached a large thorn bush, hearing the tearing of cloth and feeling it rip at his braid as he passed through it. Another bush clawed at his ankles, trying to make large gashes in it. He winced as the sand continued to dance in his eyes, but refused to give up.

Elaina walked into the room, expecting to see Quatre still struggling to find a way to escape. Instead, she was surprised to see him standing at the window, staring out it with not a hint of expression on his face.   
There was a few seconds of looming silence when finally Quatre turned to her. "Why are you holding the armies back?" his eyes swirled in a mix of blue and black as he spoke.   
"We have a large enough army, the Northern Kingdom won't be a problem," she replied calmly.   
"You'll never win that way," Quatre answered with the slightest hint of a mock tone. "Unless you're just trying to hold back,"   
Elaina smiled back dangerously. "Is that so? Do you think you could do a better job leading it? Face it, no matter what happens we'll win. Your friends are powerless.." she snarled. "Or.. Are they your enemies now?"   
Quatre's hand momentarily crackled with a sudden release of energy. Then the energy died, and he became still again. "What difference does it make?"   
She smiled satisfiedly and walked away.

Through the choking sand, Duo began to see the small greyish boulders to the right. Sitting there, as if he'd been waiting, was a small boy with bright red hair and green eyes. His clothes were black, including his boots which looked well worn.   
What would a 5 year old be doing in the middle of here? he thought to himself nervously.   
"Hello," he said with childish interest. "How did you come here?"   
"Well I asked for directions but I guess I took a wrong left turn somewhere," Duo answered calmly. "What about you?"   
"I wait for Death." he answered. His green eyes glanced behind Duo and smiled. "You have quite a following,"   
"Huh?" Duo turned around, then his jaw dropped slightly.   
It was as if a cold mist had suddenly landed against the dry ground. Hundreds of faceless ghosts had appeared, dressed as if they were ready to battle. They looked at him with their hollow eyes, almost waiting for some type of recognition.   
"What the.."   
The boy kicked his feet back and forth against the side of the stone slab. "You didn't realize you were being followed?"   
"What.. What are they?"   
"Souls, waiting for revenge.. for some reason or another," the boy answered. "Which means that I have something that belongs to you.."   
Gently, the boy turned around, reached down, and then faced Duo again, holding something respectfully in his hands.   
It was a scythe.. the handle entwined in strands of black wood. On the top where the silver blade met the wood, there were two black gems, the color of scarlet.   
"Whoa.. Where did you.."   
"Go on, take it," the boy urged. "I haven't been waiting around for a thousand years for nothing.."   
"Gee thanks.." Duo took the scythe and stared at it. "Whoa.." Very slowly he twirled it, then tested the weight as he made a few graceful swipes against the sand. "Hey.." he turned around to thank the boy.   
But the boy was gone.

The water rocked the ship back and forth peacefully, although the air had become thicker and more suffocating as they drifted farther and farther along the coastline.   
Heero watched, the slight wind whipping his brown hair in its wake. The land was dark, and looked dead.   
"We're approaching the Southern borders sir.." one of the pirates meekly announced. "Very soon we'll be in no-man's land."   
No-man's land. That was the perfect place..   
Heero nodded. "Good."

****************************************************

Notes n' stuff: I finished this around 10 tonight, so it's kind of messy but I wanted to get it done. And yes, there were some really blatant allusions to both the Lord of the Rings and Majora's Mask in one part, so if it seemed familiar..   
And to you guys who are reading this.. Gah!! If you keep guessing what's going to happen I won't have any surprises left!! ;-) And yes, I have two muses who sit on my monitor.. so hopefully no more writer's block!!

Until next time..   
  
__


	10. Default Chapter Title

**Those Who Make Legends**   
**XII**   
********************************************

****

Trowa continued down the forested path, listening calmly to the breezes as they ran through the trees. Wu Fei followed behind,   
looking nervously to each side and then up in the sky.   
"If it's bothering you so much you shouldn't keep looking at it," Trowa murmured without glancing at the Chinese pilot.   
Wu Fei glanced up at the looming shadow again. "It's been following us for the past two hours.." in the sky there remained that   
lizardlike silhouette, whether it be a good or bad omen neither knew.   
"Well what is it?" Wu Fei pondered.   
An image was suddenly in front of his eyes, a great large being with blue scaled skin and pale cyan wings. The name rang familiar..   
but it couldn't be.   
"It's a dragon," Trowa finally commented. "It's been following you,"   
Wu Fei looked up momentarily, then sped his horse up just the slightest bit.

The boat slammed into the coast, and Heero calmly jumped off the bow. The watery coast squished under his feet, unleashing a   
slight moldy smell. The pirates very quietly anchored the boat and then followed their captain to the shore.   
They trudged closer, aware of the dangerous silence which seemed to smother everything. The pirateswalked behind, panicking at   
even the slightest noise. The large trees began to encompass the area, and very slowly the sight of the boat was gone.   
Through the gloomy area, only one sight could be seen.. A large, mountainous castle, its towers nearly melting in the blackness. The pirates all shuddered and gripped tighter to their swords.   
"I'd warn you not to go any farther," a soft voice warned.   
Heero saw Quatre standing in the middle of the road, his blue eyes filled with the same dark fog. Very slowly he reached for the   
handle of his sword, gently pulling out the blade.   
Quatre smirked and raised his hand. Leisurely, he flecked his fingers and a sudden violent wave of air slammed into the brunette.   
Heero was thrown back against a tree, but he refused to wince. Half in pain, he staggered upwards and glared. "That the best you   
can do?"   
Another wave pummeled through him and he slammed against the muddy ground.   
Quatre walked towards him, the pirates backing up as he approached. Leaning over, he held out a hand to Heero. Heero quietly   
accepted it and was pulled back to his feet.   
"If you wish to go to your own death, I won't stop you," he murmured darkly. "However I won't be so gentle next time.. We'll meet   
again."   
For just a small half second, he stared into Quatre's eyes. The blonde's face remained impassive as he slowly began to disappear in   
darkness.   
Heero clenched his hand into a fist. He wiped the mud away from his face and turned around. The pirates were watching,   
trembling in fear.   
"Let's get going," he growled. He turned around, grabbed tighter to his sword and continued walking towards the tower.   
_Yeah, we will meet.._

Anne surveyed the wreckage, carefully riding through the leftovers of the battle. Near a field, they'd run into a small army of trolls   
and goblins, though they had taken the entire army out, their side still had casualties.   
The generals stared at the wreckage of the smoldering fields, then examined the slain. The main troops had been made up of trolls,   
short pudgy piglike creatures, their smell was the only thing worse than their appearance.   
But why had their been so few? The Southern armies were fabled to be enormous.. but at the most there had been only 200 soldiers   
here. Anne frowned as she thought to herself.   
Up in the sky, she saw a dragon circling around the trees. Wincing, she watched as two figures appeared out of the forest behind it. Glancing closer, she could barely make out a large bang and black hair. Could it possibly be?...   
They came closer, and she could clearly make out Trowa and Wu Fei.   
But before she could approach them, the dragon plummetted from the sky and landed straight in front of her.

Elaina growled to herself as she slammed her fist against a wall. Two full troops gone, two!! And by an untrained Northern army!!   
Oh they'd pay for this, they'd pull full on.   
Standing against the wall staring vacantly at the black stones was Quatre, his expression impassive.   
"How many did you lose?"   
"What business is it of yours?"   
He smirked, not taking his eyes away from the wall. "I'm surprised, you were so confident.."   
"Two troops won't set me back much, even if I lose them all I still have you,"   
"I'm not going to be much help," Quatre replied calmly.   
Elaina came closer, very slowly until she was staring into his eyes. A small spark of blue specked, but then was swallowed once   
again by the dark. "You don't want to help me rule after this is over?"   
A smile formed on Quatre's white lips, as a faint darkened aura appeared around him, growing stronger with every second.   
Elaina smirked to herself as she slowly thought of what was going to happen. The armies were positioned to attack the Northern   
side, all they had to do was be unaware..

Heero concentrated on the drawing, noting the several small sketches of where the guards were located. Even he had to admit that   
the artist had great talent, he was able to compare it to the real thing without problem. Compared to infiltrating a high security base,   
this would be easy.   
The skies seemed to suddenly grow even more gloomy as the clouds began to cover up what little light there was.   
He didn't have much time..

The horse reared at the sight of the large lizard, throwing Wu Fei off its back. The dragon blew a slight puff of smoke, watching as   
the horse continued to shake in fear. Wu Fei felt sudden apprehension of this large creature, but he refused to run like a common   
coward.   
Trowa calmly settled his horse down and stared at the large creature. It was a deep shade of blue with light, mother-of-pearl cyan   
wings. The green eyes were filled with a calm green, contrasting to the large white teeth and the sharp claws. It stared at Wu Fei   
then slowly came closer, swinging its large blue tail back and forth.   
Then something suddenly appeared in Wu Fei's mind. A picture.. of colors, something..   
Fire. And.. some deep shade of indigo.. like relief..   
Suddenly the indigo jolted to a pained blood red. The dragon swerved around, knocking both Trowa and Wu Fei over from the   
force.   
Wu Fei glanced at the sudden attacker.. Anne?!!   
Yes, it was her. She was standing there holding a sword and glaring at the dragon with death in her eyes. Behind her were several   
generals, shakily holding out their spears.   
The dragon inhaled deeply, and suddenly fire spouted from its mouth..

****************************************************

There now.. One of my muses had some recognition! (If you don't understand this I've explained it in Quest for Majora's Mask.) The   
way of communication is something which is pretty much based on a book by Bruce Coville that I read in 4th grade and I can't even   
remember the name of..   
Sorry if this is a little scratchy guys, it was done late at night and without much creativity. I figure I have 2 more chapters left and   
this will be a complete story!! (Yay!!) Sad thing is I've already begun to map out other projects..   
Thanks for reading!!


	11. Default Chapter Title

**Those Who Make Legends XIII**   
*********************************************************

  
  


The oncoming flames rushed straight for the group. An orange aura suddenly surrounded Wu Fei, and the fire instantly froze in its place.   
The flames licked at the air, then silently died. The scared men stared shocked, then collapsed against the ground in fear.   
The dragon's tail swiped back and forth slowly, then relaxed. His, by this time Wu Fei was certain it was male; large reptilian face turned back to the Asian and seemed to relax. Quietly his head relaxed against the ground and let out another small puff of smoke.   
An image of a warm yellow danced in Wu Fei's head, which he took in a good way. Glancing at Trowa, he slowly approached the dragon. Anne and the others watched nervously.   
The dragon let out a small snort of smoke and blinked his large green eyes. The wings fluttered, then he turned to Trowa.   
Large black shapes against a green background appeared in Wu Fei's mind. He stepped back, wincing slightly.   
"There's an army heading towards us from the east, they're in the forest.."   
A bright approving yellow appeared, then a green.   
"And he wants you to go."   
Trowa stared at the dragon, who seemed very interested in him. "How many?"   
"Many," Wu Fei replied.   
Trowa tightened his grip on his bow. "I'll take 10 men with me, but I'll need a horse."   
The men nodded. Trowa took a deep breath and stared towards the trees.

Heero glanced back at the pirates, who were pressing on with a grim look on their faces. They'd become much more threatening and ready to fight since he'd met them, which meant that perhaps the last part of the journey wouldn't be as difficult.   
He was certain it was still day, but it felt like the middle of the night. Dark fog rolled through the dead trees, making the path less and less visible.   
Red eyes appeared out of the fog, followed by a wispy form of a dog-beast. Heero rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, but remained still.   
_Why have you come here?_ the shadow narrowed its red eyes.   
Heero grunted and held out a small black stone, which was slightly glowing.   
The shadow nodded and took it in its large clawed hand. _Follow me._

There was a deep silence in the forest, both stifling and threatening to Trowa. Often, he would hear the wind shudder, then the silence would once again suffocate everything.   
The horse snorted in sudden anticipation while the rider glanced around, looking for any type of disturbance.   
It was too quiet.   
A loud explosion rocked through the air and a large group of birds took flight. From all sides, swarms of the enemy appeared waving swords and cheering.   
Trowa jumped down and grabbed a sword, joining into the fray.

Wu Fei stared silently at the dragon, still not believing that such a thing could exist. And yet it was there, staring at him patiently.   
A large black shadow passed over them and Wu Fei saw another dragon in the sky, its wings shimmering violet in the bright sky. The blue stared at it momentarily then back at Wu Fei.   
He lifted up his large wings and then departed for the skies.   
Wu Fei stared at the small field, wondering what that was all about. Anne was still standing and staring, looking just as shocked as before.   
"You stopped the fire,"   
Wu Fei smirked. "Nothing a strong man can't do.."   
She rolled her eyes.

"There are people coming," Elaina mused as she paced back and forth.   
"I know," Quatre replied, still staring distantly away. "Why are you worried,"   
She stared at him momentarily, then went back to pacing. "The armies are set to attack, there won't be any resistance after that."   
"I suppose not." Quatre quietly slipped his hand back into his pocket. "Focus on that, I'll handle the invaders."   
The glint of blue began to appear again, but only for a second.

_The forest will begin to wake._   
_With the strength of words one shall forsake._   
Trowa slammed his sword into the gut of one of the goblins, feeling the cold pain in his shoulder from where he'd been nearly taken out of the fight. It didn't look good, they were far too outnumbered to even consider winning.   
But Trowa was used to fighting unevenly. He glanced around, seeing the sudden shuddering of the trees.   
They like you.. Autumn's words echoed softly.   
"Then how about some help.." Trowa murmured to himself as he blocked another attack from an oncoming goblin.   
The trees began to shake, the earth cracking slowly..   
And then it seemed as if the entire forest had come to life, the branches cracked and fell against the oncoming troops, the branches twisting and turning and tripping the enemy.   
Trowa's skin glowed slightly.

Heero entered into the back of the castle, running up the stairs. The guards that were there were all taken care of by the pirates.   
_Quatre threw him against the ground, his face expressionless. He slowly walked over, pulled something from his pocket and slipped it into the palm of his hand. Roughly Heero accepted Quatre's hand as he was pulled up. His grip tightened around the tiny gift as he nodded. Quatre's face softened into a deep sadness._   
_"Time's running out," Quatre whispered as he slowly stepped back, his expression becoming dark and cold again._   
Heero squeezed against the small key and looked through a passing window to see the sky darkening.

The dragon soared overhead again, this time faster. They seemed to be coming back and forth faster and faster, and Wu Fei could sense some apprehension.   
He was the first to notice it; the sudden oncoming smoke and blackness..   
The army was coming....   
"EVERYONE GET READY!" he yelled, reaching for a sword.

They were gone. One moment they'd be winning against the small band of soldiers, but then they were gone.   
Another army was approaching to join the Northern forces.. She couldn't tell who, but she could see them coming.   
She was going to lose.. Elaina didn't want to believe it, but she was going to lose.   
Send out smaller armies..   
No, he couldn't have. Could he?   
She ran back towards the room, realizing her mistakes. He'd been countering every single thing she did, and then using it to his own advantage..   
And she'd gone right along with it. She threw the door open, letting the fire dance in her eyes.   
Quatre was standing there, as if he'd been waiting for her the entire time. "The armies won't make it through this; you can't possibly win now.." he murmured pensively, not making eye contact.   
Her fist balled up as a black ball of energy formed around it. It hardened into a black shell, and headed straight towards the blonde.   
Quatre simply flexed his fingers and the ball froze, then dissipated. The blue had returned to his eyes, mixing with the black clouds, creating a turbulent storm. She stared back, the angered fires burning in her pupils.   
There was a sudden wind as the doors were slammed and locked. Not even fate could intervene with this battle now.

***************************************************************************************** *phew* I'm sorry guys, I don't think I did as good a job with most of this, but I didn't want to delay in writing it because I'm already late with this!! And Duo will be coming back in the next chapter, I just didn't feel like it was the right time to bring him back yet.   
Two more chapters to go..   
And oh yeah, it _was_ Jeremy Thatcher!! Thanks for remembering that!


	12. Default Chapter Title

  
Those Who Make Legends XIV   
****************************************************

__

_The war shall start within the fields,_   
_Each one holding a strength they yield._

Wu Fei weighed the oncoming army, they'd be there within minutes, at least 500, compared to the measly 100 left in their troops. Trowa's small band had reappeared, looking very tired and beaten.   
Two shadows swooped against the skyline, barely recognizable in the blackened sky. The dragons were back, looking ominous.   
Wu Fei clenched his fist and reached out to them mentally.   
They both dived, spouting flames at the oncoming troops.

Quatre's hand shot out in different directions, his eyes filled with the torrid storm. Elaina continued to fight, her eyes burning with fire.   
"So, you set this all up," she smirked. "I guess I should congratulate you,"   
"You set it up perfectly," Quatre replied as his skin began to glow darkly. He darted another attack and felt a sudden pressure against his throat.   
"Your heart is as black as mine now," she snarled as she walked towards him, her eyes still filled with the fire.   
Quatre smiled sadly. "Yeah. I guess it is.." the darkened light became stronger around him, until it was blotting out the entire room. Elaina could see it, he'd given in fully to the darkness..   
He stepped back to the wall, looking suddenly very tired. The blackness began to concentrate against his hand, making a large ghostly black ball.

Trowa picked up the bow, shooting at several oncoming enemies as he could. Although he'd taken out several, they kept coming, and he was getting tired. Wu Fei wasn't having much luck either, beads of sweat and exhaustion dotted his forehead as he continued to fight back. The Northern armies were still untrained, and they wouldn't have the experience to fight back such a large group.   
Hold them off.. Keep holding them off.. he thought to himself quickly as he took another step back. With the small bit of light, it was getting difficult to aim..   
Gripping to a sword hilt, he set the bow back against his shoulder and thought quickly to himself.   
It wasn't going to be easy at all..   
There was a loud yell of fear coming from the rear guards. Another army was approaching..   
They'd be cornered.

_The skies shall burn against the setting sun._   
_When the will of the dragon shall be done._

The dragon fire danced against the horizon, knocking out the main troops, but it hadn't been as strong or as violent as before. Wu Fei had kept the flames alive as long as he could, but his own strength was waning quickly.   
With one desperate, angry shout he gripped against his sword and ran forward.   
He was going to die, but at least he was going to die fighting.

Heero ran down the hall, the pirates making a path in front and behind him. He'd underestimated them; once they were fired up they were a force to be reckoned with. The darkened shadow drifted in front of them, twisting around hallways like wisps of smoke.   
The room was becoming darker, and there was a feeling in the air that made his hair stand on end.   
The door in front of him was locked..   
_Dammit Quatre, what do you think you're doing.._   
Give me your sword.. the shadow floated in front of him, its eyes a dark red.   
Heero drew back and shook his head. "I can't allow that,"   
_You have no choice._ The monster glanced at the wall. _And he has no time._   
Heero stared momentarily then slowly drew the sword out. The shadow wrapped a clawed hand around the hilt and disappeared.

_And darkness will encompass all._

The sun was completely gone, replaced by the blackness of a moonless night.   
The gloom continued to advance, but there wasn't a menacing feel to it. Wu Fei stepped back, while the Southern forces began to stop what they were doing.   
Standing in front of the misty fog was none other than Duo. He was wearing a dark black cloak, ripped and torn to shreds in several places. Strands of loose brown hair blew around his face, creating a sort of calm grimness to his face.   
It was like Death itself had decided to come and join the fray.   
And then Duo swung his scythe and grinned dementedly. The fog began to form into faceless warriors, all brandishing swords and spears.   
The cavalry had come back with a vengeance.

"That's it, go ahead and kill me," Elaina taunted. "But you'll bring down the future as well.."   
Quatre continued to stare, his expression grim and angry. The black ball sparked in cold anger, but he remained still.   
Dark appeared behind her, holding out the glittering sword.   
The ball began to form into a tiny dagger.

_With Evil's heart the Light shall fall._   
Quatre shoved the dagger straight into his chest.

Outside, a greyish tone began to appear against Duo's skin, becoming brighter every second. Wu Fei's aura of orange grew, making even the flames around him jealous. Trowa's green aura strengthened..   
And in the stronghold, Heero had dropped to the ground as the warm reddish aura enveloped him.   
Right in the center of the dark clouds, a gold-white beam shot out, destroying the black clouds that had been blocking out the sun. It spread in all directions, blinding everything...

Inside, only the faintest glow remained around the blonde. A thin stream of red blood drifted down the arm, making its way onto the fingers, then dripping against the ground. And very slowly, the glow died..

*******************************************************

Aaaackkk!! *ducks the things thrown at her* There's one more chapter left!!   
*grabs an old-fashioned typewriter, cranks up Windmills, and gets back to work*


	13. Default Chapter Title

**Those Who Make Legends XV**   
**********************

Duo swung his scythe around with a slightly psychotic cheeriness. His enemies dropped around him, whether it be from fear or from some mortal wound. The Dead army followed, rolling through the enemy and leaving no trace of it being there.   
The army ran, terrified of the manifested Death which was coming for them. After what seemed like hours, only small smoldering fires and weapons remained of the enemy.   
Duo stared outwards, noticing the wind shift back towards them. Turning, he gripped tighter on his scythe and examined the ghostly soldiers.   
"You have done your duty, I release you," he murmured in a voice that didn't seem to belong to him.   
The dead soldiers nodded and seemed to condense into the mist. The wind took over, carrying it into nothingness.

Although the large makeshift tent was quiet, it was still extremely busy. The hurt and ailing occupied small blankets and cots and were tended to by experienced healers.   
Heero, Trowa, and Wu Fei were surrounding a very small white cot in a seperate tent where the fourth member of the group lay, his skin paler than the white sheets.

_He entered into the room, seeing the two bodies against the floor, their clothes reddened. Dark was standing over the young girl, still clutching at the sword._   
_The shadow glanced momentarily at him then motioned towards the prostrate blonde._   
_Take him. the shadow held out its paw and a darkened, blurred circle appeared against the wall. **This will transport you to the edge of the battlefield. The pirates will be taken as well.**_   
_Heero bent down and gently pressed his thumb against Quatre's neck. There was a sudden soft red glow, and it seemed his pulse became stronger._

That had been a day ago. The remaining troops were being hunted down by Duo and the rest of the army, while the rest of the fighters were sleeping and tending to the wounded.   
Trowa sat closest to Quatre's bed, gently cradling his still hand and staring, for the first time it seemed he was worried. Heero had his back turned, his eyebrows wrinkled in deep thought.   
Two red eyes watched, but no body could be seen to go with them.   
_With Evil's heart the Light should fall.. The healer's hands are covered in blood.._   
The prophecy had almost been completely fulfilled, but one part was missing..   
"It's me," he murmured softly to no one in particular.   
Wu Fei and Trowa looked at him questionably.   
"The healer's hands are covered in blood. I'm the healer." Heero answered in a perfectly simplistic tone.   
"But the tapestry.."   
"Is wrong," Heero replied as he stood up. "Obviously Duo is Death, Wu Fei is the Dragon.. Trowa is the forest, and Quatre is the Light, leaving only one more.."   
Trowa nodded, still squeezing to Quatre's hand.   
Now came the hard part. Many people would question what they were doing, but Heero was more intent on getting it done. "I'll need some water and fresh cloths."   
The two nodded and departed, leaving enough breathing room for Heero to relax slightly. He had never called anyone a friend, but Quatre could be considered as an ally, and his estates were big enough to hide from the ever-present Relena Dorlian when he was feeling antisocial.   
Carefully, he set his palm against the blonde's chest wound, unsure what to do. The red light appeared again, but this time it made him feel nauseated. A part of his own life was creeping away, and it took all his willpower not to pull away.   
A few minutes later Quatre's body relieved a long-held breath and his pure blue eyes opened. Heero withdrew his hand as he realized the large wound was gone. Forcing the ill feeling away, he glared.   
"I know," Quatre whispered weakly. "Idiot.."   
Heero's eyes rolled towards the back of his head and he collapsed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frederick stared silently at the image of the battlefield. Nothing remained of the Southern armies, nor of the woman named Elaina. He supposed the shadow had finally taken revenge for years of torment and slavery, although the truth would never fully be known.   
The bright blast of light had purged the remaining evil, never to return in full strength again. For the first time, the powers were perfectly in balance. He had to admt the wisdom of the foolish decision; by the attempted suicide the blonde had purged the darkness within him, but hadn't taken to the light either. Both sides had become completely in balance.   
The Fates had indeed chosen the perfect group to lead the land into a new age, and he was glad. Time could march on, with or without magical interference.   
In short, he mused to himself, the good guys had won.

"We'll miss y'sir." Red bowed sadly. "We only wish ye could stay longer."   
The pirates were ready to leave and return to the sea, but Heero declined going with them. They'd wiped out the entire black castle, proving the group was strong enough to be fearful.   
"Hm." Heero grunted in response.   
The pirates all seemed to suddenly grin. Heero hadn't time to think before he was caught in a tremendous bear hug, so tight it was becoming hard to breathe. Heero's expression changed from indifference to indignance and he shot his very best death glare.   
The pirates grinned cheerfully then waved. "G'bye! Perhaps we'll meet again!"   
Heero watched them leave, and the very faintest smile appeared on his face. He set his hand against his sword and walked back, ready for the final destination to the castle.

The dragons quietly bowed their heads as Wu Fei placed a hand against their nostrils. They let out a slight pleased puff of smoke and stepped back.   
"They're going to follow us back to the borders," Wu Fei translated. "And," he glanced at the purple, whose face widened in a smug expression. "He wants to know if he can eat you." he glanced at Duo.   
Duo jumped back several feet. "No way.."   
Both dragons chuckled and stepped back, flapping their enormous wings. A loud rush of air flattened the grass under them as they lifted off.   
Anne watched, still amazed that the great beasts had succumbed to the boy's will. In fact, she was still in shock at the way things had turned out. She followed Wu Fei back to the rest of the worn group, ready to take the final journey home.   
Quatre rode next to Trowa, looking tired but stronger than the day before. Occasionally he'd offer lighthearted conversation, which was a good sign that he was recovering. The others rode in silence, deep in thought over the past events. Duo was the only extremely cheerful one in the group, annoying Heero and Wu Fei and swinging his scythe, nearly chopping off a few heads.   
As they approached the castle gates, they noted how silent it was. In fact.. almost too silent..   
The doors burst open and a mob of people ran out, excited and relieved of the safe return of their loved ones.   
"You know what this means," Duo grinned. "Par-TAY!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Throughout the night, only the delighted cheers could be heard. Trowa settled down in the small courtroom, oblivious to the parties outside in the market. Quatre was still upstairs, sleeping off the remains of his battle. Neither he nor Heero had said anything about what had really happened, and he doubted they would. He sipped softly on a small drink and enjoyed the silence.   
A faint giggle swept through the room. He stopped as he saw her bright green eyes staring at him. He jerked back, almost falling out of his chair.   
"I told you you could do it.." Autumn smirked. "Thank you,"   
Trowa nodded and tried to step back, but Autumn drew closer, nearly touching noses with him.   
"HEY TROWA!" Duo shouted from the door. He blinked and did a double take as he saw the girl toppled over Trowa.   
The girl instantly disappeared and Trowa jumped back to his feet.   
"Wa.." Duo looked at Trowa again, then at his drink and shook his head. "Naaah." he shut the door and swallowed down more of the beverage.   
Trowa stared, then fell back against the chair, his face completely red.

"It looks like things have calmed down," Quatre mused silently as he settled back in the chair, holding a cup of warm tea. He sat near the balcony, watching the exicitement and fireworks.   
"Yeah." Heero replied in his usual monotone. The healing had left a strange, uncomfortable feeling in him, as if he'd become permanently bonded to the blonde. Perhaps in a way he had.   
Quatre cringed slightly, still fully aware of the chest wound that he'd harbor for years. It hadn't been a wise choice, but the only one available to him. Now, he was losing what remained of his magic, and he had no wish to keep it. "I think we'll have to return soon,"   
Heero glanced at the blonde as he took another swig of his drink. Quatre shifted uncomfortably in his seat and stared at the ground.   
"I'm.. starting to miss everyone, Rasid.. my sisters.. Miss Noin," a slight reddish blush spread on his cheeks.   
"Hn," Heero said.   
Quatre's face grew even redder as he tried to turn around. He cringed painfully and set his hand against the wall.   
"Sit down," Heero ordered, glaring. Quatre fell back into his seat while the brunette set his drink against the floor and walked out of the room, checking for the others.   
"Dark, I know you're still here," Quatre whispered as he stared at the wall.   
The shadow appeared, looking less than suprrised. _You're ready to leave._   
"As soon as the others get here." he replied softly. "They don't need us anymore."   
_And then you'll fade into legends, never to be seen or heard from again. _Dark stared silently.   
"That's fine." he smiled. "Someone must make the legend, and the others must pass it on. We've done our part." there was a noise and the door opened. Wu Fei, Trowa, Heero, and Duo came, followed by Anne.   
"Ready?" Quatre quietly summoned up the remnants of his power into a very small whitened glow.   
Duo grinned at Anne. "You know you're gonna miss me.."   
"Like a goblin," she replied, casually resting her hand against his shoulder. "There will finally be peace and quiet again,"   
"You two be quiet," Wu Fei snapped as he stared at the small beam of light that was filling the room. "It's time to go home!"   
Duo walked within the glow and stared at his comrades. Sure, it had seemed weird to be there at first, but now it seemed strange to be leaving..

Anne and Dark watched as the glow disappeared, leaving a lingering silence.   
She cursed softly, she was missing them already. The shadow just stared, silently bowing his head.   
May your journey be a safe and prosperous one.. he turned and headed towards the wall, becoming semitransparent.   
"They won't come back, will they?" Anne finally asked.   
_Perhaps._ he disappeared through the wall. _But they shall not be forgotten. Legends never truly are._

_*************************************************************************_ __

*phew* Okay, yeah, that was long and kind of bad, but trust me, endings to fantasies are harder to write than they seem to be. Also, I wanted to finish it today because we're leaving for our Christmas vacation and I won't be back for a while.   
First off, I want to thank my previwer Bean Burrito, the insane person who had to read and suffer through all of this first. (she also gave me an idea for part of this) Secondly, I want to thank every single one of my reviewers. I know who you are, and I'm reading your stories too!! Muaha!! (And I'm trying to review too.)   
Third, thanks to everyone who read. Hope you enjoyed it!

And Feliz Navidad.

Disclaimer for all the story: I don't own GW. I do own this story, and the other characters held within. Okay, so there were a lot of big LOTR and Zelda allusions but I somehow put this togther. I'm broke already, so there's no point in laying charges against me.


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